


Prince of Portland

by shadowolfhunter



Category: Grimm (TV)
Genre: M/M, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-31
Updated: 2015-11-11
Packaged: 2018-04-18 09:30:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4700957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowolfhunter/pseuds/shadowolfhunter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Captain Sean Renard heads a busy Police Department, and has no time for a love life despite his mother's best efforts. He's a tired man with the beginnings of an ulcer, a five-year-old daughter, an ex-girlfriend, a near endless supply of problems both human and Wesen, and the station's coffee machine is trying to kill him.</p><p>Salvation appears in the form of Nicholas Burkhardt, newly minted coffee shop proprietor, and just around the corner from the station. Nick is charming, kind, good-looking and newly split from his girlfriend.</p><p>Nick and Sean hit it off from the first meeting, as time goes on, the Captain finds himself falling for the handsome young barista...</p><p>There's only one teensy little problem. Nick is a Grimm. Sean's Wesen. This has all the hallmarks of potential disaster writ large upon it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mal d'estomac

**Author's Note:**

> I am a complete sucker for Nick and Sean... fuelled mostly by David and Sasha randomly holding hands in so many pictures.
> 
> I am also mostly fuelled by a near endless supply of caffeine... Coffee shops are probably my natural habitat...
> 
> Heaven knows where this one comes from, but have a cup of coffee and enjoy!

Sean Renard stares down at the report in front of him as though just the pressure of his gaze could alter the mistakes on the page. “Merde…” he mutters irritably under his breath, and resists his fingers’ desire to reach out for the red pen that his previous secretary had given him for a joke gift on her leaving him to go and raise a brood of very healthy and energetic children, whilst illustrating children’s books on the side.

He misses Maggie.

Linda was very pretty, very sweet, at least very competent and professional in what she could do, and utterly terrified of him.

He casts a despairing eye at the rota board in his pending tray, and winces a little as his stomach reminds him that it currently hates him, very much. He is prepared to go on bended knee, figuratively speaking, if Krazny will only take on Taylor and guide him through the fundamentals of the English language, as written.

He picks up the folder. Gets to his feet, gently rubbing his stomach a couple of times and then pulls his door open.

Linda ducks. Sean erases the scowl he can barely contain. 

He pretends not to notice.

“Krazny, my office.” Sean never needs to raise his voice. “Linda, coffee please.” He grabs his mug off his desk and hands it off to her, pretending not to see her flinch. There is a lot of pretending in his interactions with his secretary.

Detective Sergeant Bethan Krazny was one of his most competent detectives, and mercifully literate too. Putting her with Detective Charlie Taylor was not the most obvious choice, and he had no doubt he would catch some sort of hell for it from Krazny and her regular partner, but he needs this report to be right. No loopholes, because this arsonist is a killer and Sean does not need that on the streets of his town.

She’s not pleased, but when he shows her the report in his hand, she agrees very reluctantly that maybe Taylor could use a little help.

He doesn’t actually sigh with relief, but it is a close-run thing.

Several things occur to him, firstly that even though English was not his first language, nor even his second, he finds it impossible to believe that Taylor, who was born in the US and has never been outside of it should be so illiterate.

That makes Sean wonder how he passed through the police academy.

Secondly, he wonders if Krazny can work miracles, because if Taylor’s the lead on this they need all the help they can get.

Thirdly, he really has to do something about the coffee machine in the break room before they all die of some horrible poisoning.

And finally, his mother is coming to town again, and Sean just knows that his love life (or lack thereof) is going to be on the agenda again. He also knows that at some point during her visit, some possible date will be produced which Sean will have to keep, and it will all turn out really badly, because either they will know he’s the bastard Prince, or they will know he comes from money then they find out he’s the bastard Prince, and he will spend the evening fending them off, and it will all end in tears (his, maybe, his mother’s definitely, and the unspecified date’s too).

Ever since his and Adalind’s relationship hit the rocks, after he made it quite clear he was not going to make a bid of any kind for the throne (his dropping the Prince from his name being the big clue on that), his paternal family being quite insane enough from five thousand miles away (thank you very much), Adalind had taken their daughter and stalked out of his life.

Sean was reduced to being a twice a month dad. Not that he would begrudge that at all. His Diana the one being on earth who loved him all out, despite his faults, despite everything that had happened. She was his Princess, and that had nothing to do with unfortunate titles.

It’s the twenty-first century for heaven’s sake, not the fifteenth.

Linda hands him the mug of coffee. He takes a sip, and then folds an arm across his stomach as the pain hits. Normally he can keep the spasms under wraps, but the sheer force on this one makes him stagger.

An arm catches him gently round the waist, and a broad shoulder slips under his arm. “Easy does it, Captain.” He nods, too pre-occupied with the jolt of agony to resist. Another hand relieves him of his coffee mug and Griffin moves him easily into his chair, while Wu pours out a dose of his antacid medication and puts it in his hand in place of the station’s rot-gut coffee which is only making his stomach troubles worse. 

They’re double-teaming him these days, his best detectives; probably his only friends if he’s being honest, ever since he was shot in the line of duty almost a year ago.

Sean has always been a very private man, he doesn’t have friends, he has acquaintances. Until he was shot, and suddenly discovered there are a lot of people in his corner. He’s the Wesen Prince of Portland, and his ‘subjects’ love him.

And no, Sean has no clue what to do with that one. But he lets them in. Griffin and Wu, his detectives, who know him, know what he is and don’t care. Monroe the Blutbad, and his wife Rosalee, the Fuchsbau, who met because… well mostly because Adalind was foolish enough to trust Sean’s half brother Eric with the details of Diana’s parentage.

Not that Sean could entirely blame Adalind, he’d never told her the truth about his crazy father, and his father’s vicious wife and the gory, tragic tale of Sean’s childhood.

He hates talking about it, even now; especially now, as he was shot by one of his father’s hundjager assassins to facilitate the snatching of Diana.

Sean shudders a little. If it weren’t for Meisner, who despises the old King and Sean’s half-brothers for reasons all his own, Diana would be in the hands of her evil grandfather right now, and Adalind would be dead. He may not be in love with Adalind any more, and there’s way too much water under the bridge for him to ever feel that way again about her, but she is still the mother of his child, and it still matters what happens to her.

Sean presses his left hand into his stomach, and downs the dose of his medication. How bad can it be? He shakes his head a little ruefully, the cure is almost more miserable than the pain. He screws his eyes shut as the taste hits his tongue, and his gullet heaves a little as the cold clammy stuff slides down his throat. It takes almost every ounce of self-control, honed over the almost four decades of his life not to woge out at the sensation.

There’s a gentle hand on his shoulder, Hank’s warm baritone is soothing, “You okay there, Captain.” Sean nods, the pain is subsiding, the noxious pink substance that he just drank is masked by the water from the glass that Wu just pressed into his hand.

“Yeah.” Sean’s speech patterns are educated and generally mittel-European, though his accent is Canadian, he rarely indulges in vernacular. This occasion certainly seems to fit it though.

He needs to see the doctor again, he knows it, but he also has a fair idea that his doctor is going to sign him off, and right now, they just have too much on their plate. Sean needs to be at his desk, even if there were not three big, still-open, cases for him to oversee, there are budgets and meetings and Sean’s life is too hectic for time off.

He gets to his feet wearily, all too aware that Hank and Drew are hovering to catch him if he stumbles. He appreciates their concern, and the care that they show him, but a lifetime’s solitude makes it really difficult to let them in that far.

 _You need a partner in your life, Sean_. He can practically hear his mother’s voice. Though he would never admit it to her, or anyone else, he does miss the closeness and the comfort of having someone to trust.

Just a pity it never seems to last… the trust.


	2. The Hot Guy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we meet Adalind, learn about Diana's plans for her parents and Nick's coffee shop opens...

Adalind Schade glances at her watch, and taps her foot. Then feels mean and guilty doing so. Martin is never late, never discourteous, takes excellent care of Diana, and is more than capable of saving Diana from any of Sean’s completely insane family. (How she wishes he had been more specific when he warned her! How she wishes she had actually listened, instead of assuming that Sean was just being difficult.)

She doesn’t even mind having a ‘Manny’, if Martin could really be called that… it’s just…

Martin was Sean’s choice. Not hers. Diana adores him, and Adalind knows that her daughter’s abilities are not to be trifled with.

It’s not that Adalind is scared exactly, more that she’s not foolish enough to tangle with the most powerful hexenbiest in history; even if she is only three-quarters, and Adalind’s own daughter.

But he was Sean’s choice, and that really rankles.

She did love Sean once, he’s handsome and exciting, and when he forgot to be the police officer he was very good fun to be with. But Sean’s addiction to duty and his career meant that Adalind rarely came first, she resented that, and then when he refused to entertain the idea of getting their daughter into the succession, Adalind decided enough was enough.

She chose poorly. She admits that now. Her actions got Sean shot, and Diana kidnapped. If it hadn’t been for Meisner, Adalind would very probably be dead. Seeing Sean fighting for his life in hospital hadn’t done much for her either. She had burned her bridges with the father of her child, and she still rather resented that as well.

Sometimes seeing Diana throw herself headlong into his arms, watching the joy on Sean’s face as he scooped her up, Adalind felt a flicker of something that was a cross between sorrow and anger, mostly at herself.

[][][][][]

Diana Schade-Renard loves Martin. He never minds when she hugs him (she has to practice, she needs to keep hugging Mommy and Daddy until they aren’t sad any more!), and sometimes Martin is sad. He never says anything about it, but his eyes look really sad, and she hugs him as tight as she can, for himself.

Martin hugs her back. He doesn’t say anything but she knows it makes him feel less sad.

Martin takes her to daddy. That’s when she loves him best of all, sometimes he picks her up, Diana can walk, she isn’t a baby anymore, but she likes it when Martin carries her, and sometimes he hands her straight into Daddy’s arms, and for a second, she is suspended between the two of them, their strong arms are around her, and Diana feels especially safe.

She wants her mother and father to be happy, she senses that her mother is happiest with Martin in their lives. Which leaves her Daddy.

Her Daddy is lonely. Diana thinks this is why his stomach hurts so much. He doesn’t know she knows about his stomach, she found out when she got up one night to get a drink of water, his door was open, and she saw him sitting all curled over, with his arms across his body. She must have moved because he sat up suddenly, and then the smile was back on his face and she was in his arms, and cuddling him was more important, so she forgot all about the pain she could see on his face.

Diana especially wants her Daddy to have someone to love when she’s not there to love him.

[][][][][]

Nick Burkhardt runs a final polishing cloth across the counter. It’s immaculate, but it needs to be, he’s the new game in town. He’s taken everything he’s learned from four years of a business administration degree, four years of working his way through college as a barista (and occasional artist) to make The Coffee House his own. He has a loan. And staff.

Now he’s a proper businessman, he could take a step back, but nothing beats his own place and Nick is not too proud to get behind the counter.

“Nick…”

There’s something in Sherry’s voice which tells him that this is not the first time she’s called him.

He turns to give her his full attention.

“Nick, you said you would do something about the till drawer…”

He stops day-dreaming about a chain of his own personal coffee shops and follows her back behind the counter.

“…every time you ring up an order…” Sherry presses two buttons. The till drawer opens obligingly. She reaches inside, the moment the clip drops on the note, the spring snaps the drawer back into its slot, Sherry barely manages to get her fingers out of the way “it wants blood Nick… actual blood, and it isn’t bothered whose!”

“I’ll fix it.” Nick adds it to his little snag list, then turns his attention to the giant machine. Almost five feet of gleaming chrome. Brand new machine, and it cost Nick almost quarter of his budget on its own, but it’s the best of the best and he knows good coffee is half beans, half machine.

He’s thought long and hard about location, and around the corner from the busy police precinct seems a good choice. They’ve been open for two days and he’s already drawn a fairly large crowd from the coming on and off duty cops at shift change, he hasn’t had much from the detective branch yet, but he figures they will follow on. Rumour has it that the coffee in the Station House is as close as it’s possible to being deadly without actually being fatal. Yet. Nick overheard a sergeant talking to a couple of officers about how the Captain was nearly felled by the Station House coffee, the man’s two friends nod slowly, as though it was bound to happen.

Nick hopes that word gets back to the Captain about how good the coffee is here, because he could sure use that kind of endorsement. The Captain’s a senior officer, Nick wonders in a vague sort of way if the Captain in question is the hot guy he saw giving a press conference a couple of weeks back. Not that Nick’s in the market, he’s got a business to run, and he’s recently split from his girlfriend, but… well Nick’s always been comfortable with his sexuality and his choices come from both sides of the fence, and damn the guy was hot. Tall, dark and imposing… the way Nick’s always preferred.

Strategy two is serving the finest beans that money can buy. Expensive, smaller profit per cup, but if it keeps them coming back, it’s worth it. Nick is planning to start his own roast and blend, and he’s purchased a small premises for that purpose.

Strategy three is his décor. He’s deliberately kept it bright and cheerful, though quite where he got the red and white theme from he couldn’t have said.

The sound of a throat being cleared behind him yanks Nick back from his strategies, he pins a smile on his face and turns around “How can I help you, sir?”

He looks up. It’s the hot guy from the press conference.


	3. A coup de foudre

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> love at first sight... fact or fantasy?

Sean is tired, his stomach hurts, there’s this big part of him that just wants to go home, drop into his huge comfortable bed and pout and whine like a five-year-old. At this point, probably the only thing stopping him is the fact that his own five-year-old doesn’t do this.

He’s heard good things about this new Coffee House shop that’s opened up around the corner. Okay, the good things are mostly from Wu, and from the gleam in his eye, there’s some deeper, darker motive going on there. But Sean’s had a bad day, and he needs a good coffee.

The place is bright and cheerful, and that already scores a point with Renard. He’s kind of tired of the dark and gloomy sort of coffee shop. So this one with it’s attractive red and white colour scheme, and the counter which Sean is pretty sure is cherrywood, is a nice warm welcoming colour. Things are looking up.

There’s a guy behind the counter, who appears to be staring at the coffee machine in front of him, Sean’s checking his messages so he clears his throat, quietly, and the guy turns around.

Part of Sean’s brain registers that there’s a name badge on the apron, tilted perkily a little to one side, and it says “Nick”.

The rest of Sean’s brain is trying to catch up. Because the only thing he’s registering is the beauty of the silvery-blue-green eyes in front of him. Eyes perfectly framed by beautiful long, dark brown lashes. The perfection of the cupid’s bow of the upper lip, and the full soft curve of the lower lip. Sean would really like to bite that lower lip, just a little, to find out if it’s as soft and generous and inviting as it appears to be.

And right then and there, he’s grateful that he’s wearing his trenchcoat over his suit, because he can feel his response to the beauty in front of him, and it isn’t subtle.

 

 _Oh my god…_ Nick takes in the tall, imposing, powerful figure in front of him, green-gold eyes staring down into his; the patrician looks which radiate strength and resolve. The raw power of a man used to commanding.

And Nick knows that this is his Captain.

He’s ever-so-slightly confused as to why he’s thinking of this guy as his Captain, but he can feel an energy between them already, one that he never really had with his girlfriend, Juliette.

“How can I help you, sir?” He hears his voice say that. He’s pretty certain he hears the details of the Captain’s order, warm baritone voice, on the higher register, perhaps a little closer to tenor, but his psyche is taken up with registering the details of the Captain’s appearance. His height, the breadth of powerful shoulders barely contained by an expensive and well-cut suit, the long, lean, muscular frame.

“Your name.” He’s holding the coffee cup, about to write on it with his pen, and he doesn’t do that, he’s never done that before because it’s so cheesy and all the other coffee places do it, and he sees the captain glance around because it’s the end of the day and there’s virtually no one left.

“Sean.” The green-gold eyes meet his and Nick knows then that the message has been received, understood and returned.

Nick’s not even sure which message he sent.

 _Sean_. He replays the name in his head. He’s always rather liked the Irish names, and it’s a classic. There’s a hint of an accent there too, Nick’s never heard it before but he rather thinks it’s not from an American state.

There’s a ring on the man’s hand, but something tells Nick that this is part of the past not the present. There’s a loneliness that Nick can read, and there’s pain. Instinctively Nick knows that this is mostly a physical pain, the way the Captain is carrying himself, the way his left arm seems to be folded protectively over his stomach.

His Captain flinches a little, and Nick pulls himself back from his speculation, “hey, are you okay?” He hands the cup off to Sherry, and comes around the counter to move closer to Sean.

The big guy straightens up, Nick can see it’s an effort, he sways just a tiny bit, and then Nick’s hand is cupping the elbow and he’s guiding the Captain to a table, and Sean is letting himself be guided.

Up close and personal Nick is absolutely gorgeous. Sean lets himself be guided to a chair, and helped to sit down. He’s far too dazed to complain, Sean is forty-one, he’s not given to flights of fancy, he’s a pragmatic man who likes to keep it simple.

This is very far from simple.

Everything that Sean Albert Renard has learnt since he was 13 years old and running for his life from the wrath of his father’s wife; everything he’s ever heard from his mother and others is that Grimms and Wesen are mortal enemies.

That has just been utterly blown out of the water, because at the advanced age of forty-one Sean has fallen head over heels in love with the first Grimm he’s seen up close since he was in his early twenties.

Nick seems to be unaware that he is a Grimm, although he’s clearly come into his powers, because Sean can see him.

Sean knows that Nick cannot see him. Even the shock of discovery doesn’t upset Sean’s long-tested and very carefully constructed cover. He doesn’t woge. He’s never involuntarily woged and he’s not about to start now.

Something deep inside, some random instinct is telling him that Nick would never hurt him.

Nick keeps a supportive hand under the Captain’s elbow. He can read the pain, feel it, even though the Captain’s holding it all back with every ounce of self-control.

His Captain is so beautiful. Tall, strong, handsome, graceful. Everything that Nick would love in a partner.

He’s always despised the whole falling in love at first sight thing. It had to be too good to be true.

He keeps his hand gently under the Captain’s elbow, feels the warmth of the powerful body next to his, and laughs a little at himself. It might be too good, but he’s horribly afraid that it’s true.

You can fall in love at first sight.


	4. Love and Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sean and Nick draw closer and take their relationship to the next level, but there are secrets between them...

The universe is utterly perverse Sean decides. How else could he be so totally drawn to the one being on earth that could easily want to kill him just because Sean is who he is.

He’s totally smitten. Nick is warm, generous, kind to everyone he meets, he’s as gorgeous on the inside as he is beautiful to look at, and Sean is falling deeper every day.

They just hit it off. Right from the first. Sean is not used to showing weakness, especially in front of civilians, but Nick is so caring and gentle, it feels so good to relax… except he can’t relax too far, if he ever shows Nick who he really is, Sean has no doubt Nick will …

Except he does doubt it. Everything that he’s seen of Nick, especially involving Wesen, is that Nick won’t hurt someone without good cause. Something Sean finds really confusing because it turns out that Nick is Kelly Burkhardt’s son and Marie Kessler’s nephew.

Sean knows of Marie, knows her reputation, even for a traditional Grimm she’s vicious. Rumours abound of Kelly Burkhardt’s death, turns out that Marie raised Nick for all of two years before she put him in fostercare and he hasn’t had much contact with her since.

Sean shudders with horror at the thought of someone as sweet and gentle as Nick firstly being raised by a psychopath like Marie Kessler, and then being dumped, to all intents and purposes, in the care system while Marie resumed slaughtering Wesen across the known world. The care system, as Sean is only too well aware, is not the place for sensitive young people.

Sean and Nick bond over good coffee, what constitutes great pizza, Sean’s daughter and just the sense of rightness between them.

How can something so right technically be so very wrong?

They’re at the coffee shop, Nick’s supposed to be on duty, but he’s sitting at a small table with Sean; it’s a Diana weekend and Sean’s little princess is sitting on Sean’s knee, she’s playing with the Babyccino Nick made for her, and making crumbs with the strawberry shortbread… Sean has his arm around his baby girl, and his other hand is holding Nick’s.

Sean has never felt more complete, more right and more content in his life.

And it could still come crashing down around him.

Nick is in love. Sean is beautiful and perfect, and his daughter is utterly adorable. She loves her daddy very much, and Nick was worried that she would be upset with the relationship that is still forming. But she accepts him so happily, so readily, that he’s completely disarmed.

So they’ve been on dates, they’re taking it kinda slow, and suddenly Nick wants to move to the next level.

Sean is what Nick wants.

After they’ve returned Diana to her mother (Nick waited in the car, getting Diana’s mother all anxious before they’ve even cemented their relationship seems foolish) they head back to Nick’s place.

He doesn’t quite know how he swung it this time, because they end up at Sean’s often as not and the Captain’s apartment is beautiful.

And intimidating.

This time, Nick fancies a home fixture. Somewhere he can get Sean to relax. Somewhere where he has homefield advantage and can truly relax himself.

Maybe take this thing further.

Nick really wants to take this thing further, so okay, he might just have done a little pre-planning and some reconnaissance, and he’s very certain that Sean wants to move to the next level.

Sean Renard is not playing hard to get. It’s beneath his dignity. He does have to think about things though, and as badly as he wants Nick in his bed, the consequences could prove catastrophic.

He’s scared. He does not want to lose Nick, he’s in love with Nick, but he can’t tell Nick who he really is or Nick will want to kill him? Maybe? Nick certainly won’t want to love a zauberbiest.

Sean wouldn’t, if he was in Nick’s place.

He wants Nick so badly he aches with it, and he knows that Nick wants him back. He can’t hold out, so he lets Nick seduce him.

[][][][][]

Having seduced his Captain into his house, Nick squishes any qualms he has about being quite so brazen.

They’re standing toe to toe. Sean’s fingers entwine with Nick’s and he lets himself be lead, he leans down into the kiss, the way he feels right now he doesn’t care if his world ends tonight, for the first time in his life he feels loved. He needs this.

Nick melts in Sean’s arms. His Captain is everything that Nick dreamed he would be, Nick has been dying to see what Sean Renard hides under those beautiful suits, and what he finds takes his breath away. Sean is as gorgeous as Nick dreamed he would be.

The Captain has a smoking hot body, all long, powerful, lean muscle, and Nick wants to taste every single inch.

Sean gazes at the lean perfection of the Grimm’s gorgeous body and growls a little. His zauberbiest wants to devour. From somewhere Sean finds the strength to keep his human genes on top, but it’s a close run thing.

Nick matches him in every way, their coupling is fierce and passionate, and Sean cannot hold the power that surges through him back.

They lie sated, and exhausted, in each others’ arms as Sean prays with every fibre of his being that he can keep this, that nothing comes along to mess it up, because he’s found his soulmate and for the first time in his life he cannot lose that.


	5. Hexenbiest!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was too good to last... The Siegbarste messes Sean's life up.

“Hank, you put Stark in prison, he’s gunning for you and this is not a good plan.” Sean closes the file on the desk and looks across at Griffin and Wu. “Too many variables, you are wide open for attack.”

Oleg Stark is a vicious killer, he’s also a siegbarste, a kind of ogre, and he’s going to be incredibly tough to take down.

Hank nods. “I know, and that’s just the point Captain, if he sees me vulnerable then we could get a chance to take him.”

“Change that could to a will and I will think about it.” Hank reaches for the file, Sean lays his palm flat on top of it. “Hank, I mean it, find another way.”

Hank nods, reading the seriousness of Renard’s gaze. It took them a while to see Captain Sean Renard in his true colours, he’s a loyal and brave officer who puts his men first, and both Griffin and Wu appreciate that. It was difficult to get past Sean Renard’s barriers, but once they realized who and what he was, both men realized all the things that had seemed so strange before now fit.

Then Sean was shot, and both men realized it was his own family that had done it to him. Seeing their Captain fighting for his life had profoundly affected both Griffin and Wu. The Captain has never shown them his woge, and Hank thinks that this is because it’s a side of himself that has brought Renard nothing but pain and trouble. They both realize that being a zauberbiest makes Renard’s life more difficult.

After everything that’s happened, Hank’s a bit disappointed because he thinks that this is the best way forward, but if the Captain’s asked for another plan, another plan it has to be.

[][][][][]

Apparently Nick knows he’s a Grimm, and according to all reports, the Eisbiber in particular are startled to find out that he’s not going to just randomly kill them because they’re Wesen.

Sean doesn’t know if he’s relieved or about to lose his head. He’s a zauberbiest, and he’s in love with a Grimm, and it’s not just him, but his daughter and even his daughter’s mother he has to think about.

But when he’s alone with Nick, behind the closed door of the bedroom, Sean can wish that things would just stay the same. He’s never had a love like this. Nick is so warm, and open, and loveable, Sean can make believe that it will never end. He has never felt like this in his life before, he loves his mother he really does, but she raised him to hold himself back, to keep himself strong and the world at bay.

Then along comes his Nicky, and Sean can barely stop smiling.

[][][][][]

Nicholas Burkhardt is having the most confusing ten minutes of his life.

His aunt is in town.

Nick remembers how she used to be, and is mildly shocked that she is much frailer looking than he remembers. Nick can’t help feeling that she’s hiding something from him.

She is there for the coins of Zakinthos. Nick’s never heard of them, and with the network he is slowly developing, getting the less aggressive Wesen to trust him, he’s fairly sure that he would have heard of such things. Especially when Marie describes them. He can’t decide if the thing she is hiding is the coins or if it’s something else.

He has no idea how he’s going to introduce his aunt to his lover. In the end he chickens out, and texts his partner.

[][][][][]

As soon as he mentions that he has his aunt staying with him, Sean knows exactly who that is.

All the fears he’s been carrying in his heart come crowding back. This is the dreaded Marie Kessler.

Not surprisingly, when he puts out some feelers, most of the gentler less able to defend themselves Wesen have gone to ground. Sean can’t blame them. It’s like having Jack The Ripper amongst them.

Instinctively, Sean knows that Nick has not divulged their relationship to his aunt.

Nick mentions the coins of Zakinthos in passing and Sean shudders. He encountered them once before, and nearly lost his life because of them. If he saw them again he would give them a wide berth.

They exchange words of love and Sean hangs up, something deep inside tells him this is not the end of it. There’s a dark presence overshadowing everything, and Sean shivers again.

[][][][][]

Hank’s new plan is a decoy, and while Sean still isn’t happy about it, he agrees that they need to get Stark off the streets before he kills again.

Hank lays a trail that a blind man could follow. Mercifully, the idea of revenge has made Stark somewhat incautious. That, or he figures his superior strength overmatches the detectives tracking him.

They have Stark almost where they want him when things begin to go catastrophically wrong.

A dark shadow detaches itself from the woods at the edge of the row of apartments and heads after Stark into the complex. Renard would know that figure anywhere, it’s been pressed up against his own body enough times, that Sean could map every inch of Nick from memory.

Something like an icy hand crawls up Sean’s back. He knows Nick is strong, knows that the Grimm gives him extra powers, but this is Stark, the siegbarste. The vicious, evil, depraved siegbarste and this is his boyfriend.

For the first time Sean acknowledges the word, as he’s running, as his pace accelerates he woges, his full strength and power comes out. Nothing is in his head, not police procedure, not the safety of his men, nor his own safety, he just has to get to Nick before that bastard…

He hears the cries of pain, then he’s slamming into Stark with every ounce of his enhanced strength, he hears his own growl of rage, then he is trading blows with Stark.

He’s in trouble, because even though he’s super-humanly strong, Stark is perhaps even stronger, and the creature’s mind is gone in a heightened state of something, revenge, glee… Sean fights back, ignoring the heavy fists that are slamming into him, the bastard dared to lay a hand on his Nicky.

The sound of the shot is incredibly loud in the enclosed space, then Stark is falling away, and Sean turns to his Nicky…

“Hexenbiest!” There’s something in Nick’s voice that causes Sean to falter. “You’re a freaking hexenbiest!? Get away from me.”

Sean freezes in shock, his mind scarcely comprehending the hatred in his beloved Nick’s voice. He takes an abortive step forward, aware of how much pain he’s feeling from Stark’s blows, but nothing to the crushing pain as his heart crumbles within him.

Nick hates him…


	6. Chilling Details

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick casts Sean out of his life.

Nick is hurting like hell and so damn angry he can’t think straight. Sean lied to him, Sean’s a fucking hexenbiest. He hates Sean.

He ignores the tiny little voice that points out that Sean risked everything to save Nick, that Sean was being beaten up and scarcely holding out against the siegbarste, until Hank Griffin stepped up and shot the siegbarste with something that Nick was certain was not an ordinary bullet. The huge handgun Hank was wielding was hardly police-issue either.

Griffin and his boss saved Nick’s life. They deserved a pass for that alone.

But Nick can’t get past the fact that Sean didn’t tell him something pretty damn important, which kind of begs the question what else didn’t Sean tell him? Perhaps how long Sean has known that Nick’s a Grimm?

He decides to go and nail Sean. He needs answers. Sean’s Wesen, and he should have told Nick.

[][][][][]

He stands in Sean Renard’s office doorway and says that. He resolutely ignores the flare of hope in Sean’s incredibly expressive eyes, the pain that sweeps in when Sean sees that Nick has not forgiven him. He feeds on the little skip of glee in his soul. A Grimm made a Hexenbiest feel something.

He’s not like this, he doesn’t know where this is coming, just that he wants Sean to feel…

“How long have you known?” He practically barks at his former boyfriend.

There’s this frozen look of pain on Sean’s face, “since the beginning,” he admits.

“And you didn’t think it was important enough to tell me.” 

There’s almost a hard look in Renard’s eyes now. “I didn’t think you’d want to listen. You’re Marie Kessler’s nephew.” 

Nick’s heard the stories, but this is his aunt, he refuses to believe them. Sean’s just trying to justify his lies. He’s hurting, they’re hurting each other, but it’s too hard to stop. Nick’s burning all his bridges here, he wants Renard to burn too.

It’s a little frightening all that power, the power to reach out and hurt Wesen, Nick’s almost embracing it, ignoring the little voice that’s screaming in horror at the pain he can see in Sean’s eyes, watching hope drain away.

He’s doing that…

“We’re through.” He snaps and turns away, slams the office door behind him and walks away, because if he looks back and sees Sean cave under the weight of all that pain that Nick’s just inflicted, he knows he’ll never walk away again. His heart is begging him to stop, but Nick can’t let go of his anger.

[][][][][]

He’s exhausted emotionally and physically when he gets home. He goes to the fridge intending to pull out a beer. Somewhere in his peripheral vision he picks up on movement.

His body is aching, his bruised and partially dislocated shoulder is throbbing from the punishment he’s given it, his soul is shredded beyond repair, because every single word he just said to the love of his life he didn’t mean.

Nick growls and swings round, intending to beat to a pulp the being that’s forced its way into Nick’s house.

“Nicky!” A hand effortlessly blocks his punch, but tenderly, taking into account his injuries.

“Mom?” Nick forces back a sob, trembles a second and falls into his mother’s arms.

[][][][][]

They sit on the couch together, he holds her hand, he can’t quite believe after all this time she’s here, she is alive. There’s just so much to catch up on, and he doesn’t know where to start, so he holds her hand and grins stupidly at his mother.

[][][][][]

Sean is beyond exhausted when he reaches home, beyond heartsick at all that he’s lost today. He almost fails to register the fact that his front door is open.

Wary now, he pulls his weapon, Diana’s home with Adalind, and Norah his housekeeper should be long gone. He pushes the door open, however exhausted he is, his body falls into the stance, the motions as he clears the room, he rounds the corner, sees a foot, steps forward, bile rising in his throat as he sees his innocent, kind, entirely human housekeeper. She’s dead, throat slit ear to ear, he can see she’s dead, but after everything that’s happened, he falls to his knees beside her, hoping against hope that somehow he can hold that blood in that he can see spilling out of her slit throat.

He has no time to register the swing, or the blow, as something slams into his head, and he falls forward, the last thing he registers before losing consciousness is a low voice, “got you”.

[][][][][]

Nick tells his mother all of it. Sean, the woge, everything; it’s her response that surprises him.

“It’s alright Nicky, it’s going to be taken care of.”

Nick’s brain registers the _taken care of_ but his mind rejects what she’s saying. It’s a full minute as she continues speaking that a growing horror forces him to blurt out, “Mom, what do you mean, taken care of.”

[][][][][]

Sean comes to, and hand slapping his face, “good, you’re awake”, he tries to push the hand away, and realizes that his wrists are bound to the chair he’s sitting in. His wrists are tied down with wire, which is cutting into his skin, he tries to wrench them free, and his ankles, but he’s tied too tightly. It hurts.

He looks up, resentfully, into the face of his captor; and knows then that he’s in a world of hurt and trouble. The baleful face of Marie Kessler stares back at him. “I’ve come for the coins your majesty.” There’s this strange little giggle in her tone, and he realizes that not only are all the stories about her brutality and craziness clearly true, she has lost her mind over the coins, so that part of her legend is true too.

“I haven’t got them.”

The punch that explodes on his left cheekbone makes his head ring worse, and he’s rocked back on the chair. She doesn’t care about the answers, she just wants to hurt him so much.

Everything the siegbarste did is nothing to the pain that Nick’s crazy Aunt Marie is inflicting on him, Sean absorbs each punch and kick because they’re nothing to the pain of losing Nick.

Then she gets out the knife.

[][][][][]

Nicks hears his mother out in horror. His Sean is in danger, and Nick finds that he can take life maybe without Sean, although it will seem cold and empty, but life and the world without his Sean in it.

He surges to his feet, pain forgotten. “NO!” he screams at his mother. “No, she can’t!”

“He’s a zauberbiest,” Nick registers the thing that is part of Sean, and realizes why his lover held back, because everything that Nick has wanted to deny and up until now has done, he knows is true.

His Aunt Marie is crazy, and she has his Sean.

For one absolutely heart-stopping second Nick pictures the joy on Diana’s face as she flings herself into her father’s arms. The father that Nick is in love with, who he now realizes he cannot cut out of his heart. The father whose life is in danger because Nick has been a fool. The father that the little girl may never see again if Nick doesn’t do something.

He scrambles away from his mother, grabbing his jacket, he runs.

_Hang on Sean, I’m coming!_


	7. Safe and Sound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick rushes to the rescue

The point of the knife is maybe an inch from his eye. Sean stares dully at the blade, his Nicky is lost to him, he will not tell her anything, and while Diana will grieve at his loss he will go to his grave protecting his baby girl from the monstrosity that is Marie Kessler.

The irony is that his death will unleash a hell upon Marie Kessler that will not end until she is dead, and his Nicky will be free of the risk of being Marie Kessler’s nephew.

Sean prepares to die. To never see his Diana again, to never see his Nicky again.

Somewhere deep inside something ancient and royal uncurls itself.

He has broken ribs, terrible bruising and tear injuries but somehow he draws himself up in the seat, his hands rest on the arms, the blood continues to drip from his torn wrists, his split eyebrow, his lip, but Marie sees something in that moment, the image of a crown, gold glinting in the sunlight.

So the rumours are true, Sean Renard really is a Prince.

She giggles to herself, that will not save him now.

“Aunt Marie.”

She lunges, but she was startled and her timing was just a little off. Renard falls heavily on his side, “NOOOO!” rings in her ears as a body shoves past her and straight to the fallen Prince, and then she’s running, and running, and she’s out in the street without any knowledge of how she’s arrived there.

[][][][][]

Nick screams in horror as Marie slashes Sean’s throat, he’s on his knees, trying desperately to staunch the blood that’s flowing from the wound, staring into Sean’s beautiful green eyes, so warm and expressive, so filled with fear and love, blood bubbles out of Sean’s mouth as he tries to say something, but Nick is shushing him, and stemming the flow of blood as he awkwardly dials 9-1-1 while never losing his grip on Sean’s wounded throat.

[][][][][]

It’s two pm. Nick sits in the miserably uncomfortable plastic chair, and holds Sean’s hand. He’s been there since they brought Sean out of surgery some five hours before, he’s had time to reflect, time to study each cut and bruise, time to stare at Sean’s heavily bandaged neck. The tape from the dressing shows above and below the bandage, which stretches from just below Sean’s jawline all the way down his neck. Marie missed Sean’s carotid artery by a hair’s breadth.

There are so many stitches.

Nick wants to put his hand on Sean’s cheek, to better express his love for his badly injured boyfriend, but Sean’s face is so badly bruised, and Nick doesn’t want to inflict any more pain on him, so he holds Sean’s hand. Both Sean’s wrists are mangled from where he was tied down with wire, there are soft bandages around both of them, and dressings too.

There are other injuries concealed by the hospital gown, Sean’s ribs are wrapped, there are stitches and dressings, and so much pain.

Sean’s regained consciousness a couple of times, he hasn’t said anything, but his eyes are full of warmth and love, and Nick can take a little heart from that. He loves Sean so much and Sean is so badly hurt from what Nick’s aunt did to him.

It takes a moment to register that he’s no longer alone. He looks up to see his mother, and instinctively moves to protect his unconscious lover.

“He’s a zauberbiest.”

Nick shakes his head, “that’s all you’ve got to say?”

“Nicky, he’ll hurt you.”

Nick scowls at that, “he’ll _hurt_ me? Have you seen what she’s done to him?” Never letting go of Sean’s hand, he angles his body in such a way so he can show his lover’s injuries to his mother.

“Look at him.” Nick’s voice throbs with tears. “She did all this to him, he did nothing to her.”

Kelly shakes her head, “He’s not just a zauberbiest, he’s Royal. He’s the Royal in Portland, Nick.”

“Which if you knew him at all, you would know that Sean has no interest in being involved with his father and his family in any way.”

They jump.

She’s tall and blonde, and regal in a way that surprises Nick. He has never seen anyone quite like her. She moves up close to Sean’s bed, and gently caresses his head, smoothing his hair back a little.

He keeps hold of Sean’s hand. “Who are you?”

“Elizabeth Lascelles.” She smiles at the way Nick holds Sean’s hand, and offers her left hand instead of her right. Nick finds himself curiously reassured, but she doesn’t introduce herself beyond that, which is when he realizes that his mother and the mysterious woman who clearly knows Sean well apparently know each other.

“Elizabeth.”

“Kelly.”

Nick looks from one to the other. “Mom?”

“Elizabeth is your boyfriend’s mother.”

Something of an amused look crosses Elizabeth’s face, and Nick knows he looks stunned. His gorgeous boyfriend’s mother is equally gorgeous and looks about five minutes older than her son.

Elizabeth was surprised to find the Grimm at her Sean’s bedside, and very surprised to see him protect her unconscious son against Kelly Burkhardt. Her recent communication with Sean had let her in on his hopes and dreams for his future with the Grimm, which worried Elizabeth greatly, but observing Nick alone with Sean, she knew she had nothing to fear for her son’s safety with the young barista.

His mother and her crazy sister, however…

[][][][][]

Kelly Burkhardt backs down, it’s not as though she can start something in the hospital, and apparently her son’s love goes deeper for the zauberbiest than she ever suspected.

She leaves, aware that Nick has re-settled next to Sean, and that one of the most powerful hexenbiester in the world is alone with her son.

[][][][][]

Sean is in a lot of pain, the bruising and swelling around his throat makes speech almost impossible, but he’s so desperate to tell Nick his feelings, he tries anyway.

Nick smiles so tenderly, leans over and softly presses his lips to Sean’s, “shhhhh, take it easy.”

Sean smiles, it makes his face ache, pulls on his bruises and probably splits his lip again, but he has his Nicky back, his mother is there with them and he doesn’t care about bruises.


	8. Recuperating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick watches over his injured Prince and ponders what he thinks he knows.

Sean sleeps a lot, his body battered and beaten in two savage encounters barely hours apart. His throat hurts like hell, he can barely swallow, and the doctor is suggesting he might need to be fed by tube. Sean really hates that idea.

He’s sick, in pain and feeling utterly overwhelmed by it all, so much so that when Nick moves up close to offer comfort, Sean doesn’t hesitate. He’s weak and very sore, but he curls into Nick’s arms like he has always belonged there.

Nick sits on the bed and lets his zauberbiest curl into him, he puts his arms around the larger man’s body gently, and relishes the contact. Something he so nearly lost. And for what?

Nick is scared, the day before yesterday… was it really such a short time ago?... he was a coffee shop owner with a gorgeous, hot, law enforcement officer boyfriend, and a very quiet little sideline in handling Wesen matters. Now he’s still a coffee shop owner but he nearly threw away his gorgeous boyfriend because he’s the Wesen that his mother and aunt want to warn him about.

Nick thinks about it rationally, because this can only be viewed rationally. Sean has done absolutely nothing to harm Nick, or influence him. Sean’s hidden the reality of who he is, but given the circumstances, Nick doesn’t blame him for that. Sean has more than himself to think about. When Nick thinks of Diana, Sean’s little girl, he realizes that this is the clue to that question. He knows that Sean protects his daughter, and in a roundabout way, he’s protecting Nick too.

Now Sean is badly hurt, and if Nick wants any kind of future with the man he knows he loves, it’s Nick’s turn to protect his love.

There’s another problem and this one worries Sean. Norah, his gentle human housekeeper is dead, and Sean mourns her loss sincerely, but his detectives are sharp, they will find Marie Kessler’s DNA all over the place, there would have been plenty of it on him, and he knows his clothes and various swabs, as well as photographic evidence of the room and of his injuries have been given to the lab.

The problem is that Nick is Marie’s nephew, and since someone as crazy and violent as Marie Kessler is going to be in the system, that means Nick is going to come under some serious scrutiny, or even arrested. Sean desperately wants to keep his boyfriend out of harm’s way, he can’t bear the thought of his gentle Nick winding up in lock-up. For all that Nick is a hard-ass Grimm, and reached adulthood in the (debatable) care system, Nick is a gentle soul, Sean wants his love to stay that way.

Trouble is, Sean is hurting, he needs his meds, but if he presses that little button, he’s not going to be able to protect Nick if his detectives come calling. He lies perfectly still, perhaps if he doesn’t move at all, his body will forgive him for not pumping it full of drugs.

So absorbed is he in trying to overcome his body’s needs, and the pain, he barely notices the hand that reaches out and pushes the button. A very gentle hand cups his cheek. “Sleep Sean. It’s okay…”

Nick watches the long brown lashes flutter closed over the pain-glazed green eyes and knows he did the right thing. Sean needs rest, and Nick does not want his boyfriend to suffer any more pain.

Somewhere in the midst of all the fear and stress of keeping his Sean alive until the paramedics could get to him, and then the long wait while Sean was in surgery, it has occurred to Nick that at the very least he is going to face some very awkward questions as to his part in Sean’s injuries, and the death of Sean’s housekeeper.

In the very little time that Nick has had to put out some feelers, he’s learned that Sean is a well-loved Prince, who has done away with his formal title, and done a great deal on the quiet for the Wesen under his protection. Nick’s aunt Marie, and his mother Kelly came to town, and large numbers of very gentle, harmless Wesen just vanished overnight.

Now Sean’s seriously injured and in hospital, some of them have come back. They know that Marie and Kelly are still in the area, but they’re prepared to fight for their Prince’s safety.

Nick is both confused and horrified. It turns on it’s head everything he had been told by his aunt about Wesen, Grimms and the way the world order works.

For now he watches his boyfriend sleep, it was too close, he could have lost Sean, and that scares Nick more than any possible confrontation with Sean’s detectives.

[][][][][]

Sean wakes, everything still hurts like hell, but less so than it did the day before, he’s not sure what woke him, but the sense that something is wrong is almost overwhelming.

“Nicholas Burkhardt….”

_No…NONONONO…_

Sean sits up with a jerk, Hank and Wu are there, looking serious, and his Nick is standing up, going to go with them…

“NO…” Sean’s voice cracks, and he catches his breath, there’s a horrible second when his sore bruised throat contracts and then he coughs hard.

He can’t stop coughing, he’s aware that his detectives are moving, but all he can see is his Nicky.

Nick moves like lightning, his Grimm reflexes catching his boyfriend close to his chest as Sean begins to cough and choke, and then all he can do is hold his love while Hank’s finger presses the emergency bell, and Nick holds his Sean, and Sean’s hand latches desperately around Nick’s wrist like he’s never going to let go.

[][][][][]

They’re alone again, this time Nick is sitting on the bed, Sean is curled into his arms and draped across his lap. That was the only way Sean would settle, and while the nurses don’t like it, they see the value of keeping Sean calm without over-medicating him.

So Nick sits there and holds onto his tired boyfriend and lets the drama of the last forty eight hours or so wash over him.


	9. Storm Warning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sean and Nick keep their private fears from each other.

Sean is hospitalized for three weeks, and released only after his doctor has signed him off for another month. It doesn’t sit well with him, there’s far too much going on, not the least the ongoing hunt (discreet) for Nick’s aunt, but he does what the doctor tells him because his body is telling him that enough is enough. And Nick is too.

From what Nick has described to Hank and Wu, in Sean’s presence, his aunt has lost the plot. Privately, Sean and his detectives think that Aunt Marie has gone a lot further down the route of outright insanity than Nick can believe. Another excellent reason for Sean obeying the doctor, Sean is terrified for his lover, the way he sees it, he damn near lost his life to her, if she decides that Nick’s interference is too much, is she going to come after Nick? Sean’s been a police officer for almost twenty years, he’s seen enough in that time to know that it is a distinct possibility.

He doesn’t say as much to Hank and Wu, he’s finding all of it incredibly difficult to deal with and since he’s always been a private man, he reins all his fears in.

His voice is barely above a whisper as his throat heals, and he finds he’s mildly ashamed of himself as he clings to his boyfriend. The double anxiety of what might happen to his Nick, and his own injuries has Sean in a bad place.

Nick doesn’t care that Sean is a little clingy. Though they wouldn’t call it that, but what Sean has been through would traumatize anybody, and Nick gets that his boyfriend is torn between the strength of his emotions and his instinct to keep them under wraps.

He is also starting to understand how feared and almost reviled his family is. His aunt, his mother, now he’s seeing for the first time the negative impact their Grimm reign of horror has been.

The big white dressing on his boyfriend’s throat a daily reminder of the violent heritage that Nick has completely rejected.

Nick goes to work, makes coffees all day, and comes home to Sean. Nick’s apartment is tiny, and nowhere near as beautifully appointed as the Captain’s opulent home, but that was the site of Marie Kessler’s attack on Sean Renard, and it isn’t lost on Nick that Sean is very reluctant to return there.

All of which brings another matter to a head, if Sean isn’t going to live in the expensive, fancy house that his mother bought for him, Nick privately thinks he should get the place on the market, round up his stuff and come and live with Nick permanently.

Elizabeth Lascelles is still in town. Kelly and Marie are both still out there somewhere, Sean’s detectives haven’t been able to detect either of them, a matter which disturbs Elizabeth, who fears for her son’s safety. Part of buying Sean the house after he was attacked and gunned down in his apartment was that it was supposed to be safe. Extra security, gated community. Now he’s living in Nick’s tiny concrete shoebox, minimal security, anyone could tailgate any resident and it seems like no one ever questions complete strangers as to their intentions.

Mentioning her son’s possible return to his home caused him to freeze, and then change the subject.

She’s genuinely surprised how much Sean’s Grimm loves him, and how gentle and supportive the younger man is towards her son. She’s known for a long time that Sean’s interests lie both ways, so she’s grateful he’s found his soulmate. Elizabeth just wishes that he hadn’t been a Grimm.

[][][][][]

Hank Griffin is worried. They have dug for weeks and there has been no sign of Marie Kessler. She’s still out there, probably still gunning for the Captain, and then there’s whatever she might do to her nephew for crossing her.

The fact that even after all he has learned, what he saw his aunt do to his boyfriend, and her escape, Nick still doesn’t believe that she will harm him.

The Captain’s almost beside himself, and they’ve worked together long enough for Hank to know that even though Sean Renard is shaken to his core, he’s not dramatizing the situation. Nick Burkhardt is at risk, despite his belief to the contrary.

[][][][][]

Nick’s closing up, it’s been a long day, it’s his turn to close but thankfully the takings are already in the bank, so all he has to do is turn the keys in the lock and walk around the corner to his car.

From the moment he puts his keys in his pocket, he has the sense that he’s not alone. Nick’s a Grimm, he’s tough, he’s trained for this; so he sets off to his car, reaching into his pocket for his phone.

The attack comes from the left as he passes the recessed shop door, four doors down from his own shop, he barely dodges the punch, something smashes down on his forearm and he drops his phone with a shriek of pain.

There are three of them, and they’re herding him into the alley between the shops, and he can’t believe that this is happening, because he’s two corners from the precinct, and it isn’t that late. He’s trying to fight back with one arm, because the blow may have broken the bone above his wrist, then he’s being shoved hard up against a wall, and somewhere in the back of his mind he recognizes a siegbarste, then behind him comes the cry of “Stop Police!” and he’s just trying to hold on, a huge hand slams him into the wall twice more, and Nick’s going down, his last thought as he loses consciousness is that Sean was right.

[][][][][]

Sean arrives at the hospital at a run, Wu and Hank trailing after him. He has one thought in his head to get to his Nicky before anyone else can. Somewhere in amongst all the fear that he’s been holding back for weeks, is anger that Marie Kessler, and he has no doubt it was her behind it, has laid hands on her nephew.

Sean isn’t going to let her come at them a third time.

But right at this moment, Sean’s only focus is Nick.


	10. Caffeine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sean is beside himself with worry, and Nick is too injured to work... A compromise of sorts is reached.

It was bad. Nick’s right arm had breaks in the forearm and an impacted fracture of his shoulder, he was bruised and bloody, but the worst injury was the severe concussion.

The moment he woke, he wanted to go home, but he was seeing double and could barely move because the pain was overwhelming.

Sean was distraught at his boyfriend’s injuries and determined to protect him. Stress and pain lead directly to their first serious argument.

[][][][][]

Sean eyes the five foot of gleaming chrome that is Nick’s pride and joy with some trepidation. Running a coffee business because your doctor won’t allow you to return to work, and your lover isn’t able to stand up for long enough to return to work takes some doing. He scowls a little, it’s a coffee machine, it’s ten times the size of the one in his kitchen (that’s now in Nick’s kitchen) but the basic operation is the same, and it’s not as though he hasn’t seen baristas in action before.

He catches a glimpse of himself in the polished surface and winces a little. Apparently standing in for one’s beloved involves a red cotton shirt over black pants (in his case black jeans), and a cheerful red and white striped apron to which Sherry has attached a name-badge, SEAN in large, bright, and entirely for Sean’s taste TOO CHEERFUL red bubble letters on a white background… the two cherries and the heart that Sherry has drawn in opposite corners above his name make him fear for his sanity. The red shirt says “BARISTA” in bold printed lettering on the back… which Sean thinks is probably a crime against trades’ descriptions, but Nick gives him the look which says that Nick finds it cute/adorable/sexy [delete as necessary] and since Sean is so very grateful that his Grimm is still alive that he declines to say as much and make his Grimm sad again.

It’s opening time, and the flood of customers is more tsunami than big wave, by the time Sean actually looks up, it’s almost lunchtime. He’s only burned his elbow twice on the steam spout, but so far he’s got every drink right first time and he’s feeling pretty pleased with himself.

Sherry looks at her boss’ boyfriend and wishes he would smile like that more often. At first she had trouble seeing what Nick saw in the rather stern Captain, until she saw him smile at Nick. His smile takes years off him. Closed off and stern, he’s still clearly a handsome man, but that smile turns him into drop-dead-gorgeous and inspires a little (slightly regretful) flutter in Sherry’s heart.

Sean Renard is absolutely and irrevocably Nick’s.

Anyway, Sherry shakes her head and gets her act together. He’s more than held his own on the huge coffee machine for over four hours, and she is truly impressed. She figures he didn’t get to be a police captain without being able to pick up things fast, and he’s due a bit of a break from the machine, she’ll swop over.

“Hey, Sean…” it feels a little weird calling him by his first name, but Sean insisted, “Wanna take a break from the coffee and take over the till?”

For a moment, when he tosses that heart-melting smile at her, Sherry can almost make-believe that she has a shot.

“Sure!”

There’s a little accent there, one she can’t quite place, but it’s dead sexy, and she allows herself a tiny day-dream, and then feels kinda ashamed, because Nick and Sean, they’re completely in love with each other.

Sean turns his attention to the till. It was, naturally, fully automated. Nick really had spared no expense putting his coffee shop together.

He rang up the order, told the customer how much it was, she rummaged in her purse and handed over a couple of bills, he rings in the amount of money she’s given him and puts the bills in the drawer.

At that moment, Sherry turns and says “Watch out for…”

Whatever she was going to say is lost, as the spring clip drops on the note, and the drawer rips back into its slot, slamming shut on three fingers of Sean’s right hand.

For a second he’s completely frozen, his mind is so numb, he nearly woges in shock. Then very gentle hands are freeing his trapped fingers, and they’re throbbing, and he’s registering that Hank is guiding him away from the till and Nick is there, and his boyfriend is taking Sean’s right hand and cradling it, as somewhere in the back of Sean’s mind begins to reassert itself.

He looks at his boyfriend. “OWWW.”

Nick’s body hurts, but arriving in his shop to find his lover has fingers trapped in the till drawer that he promised to fix, suddenly all of Nick’s hurts seem somewhat insignificant.

Sherry stares at her boss, and his boyfriend, Nick is holding Sean’s hand, Sean is still looking a little out of it, she sees how beat up they both are, there’s a big white dressing on Sean’s throat, his wrists are marked up, and she can tell from the way he moves, that under his clothes are probably more bandages; she knows how badly Nick was hurt in the attack, and there’s something about the way they are holding on to each other which makes her want to wrap them both up, take them home and feed them until whatever’s threatening them is gone.


End file.
